


Wavelength (I'm Drowning In My Fear)

by curiously_me



Series: Jaegercon Bingo [3]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25110874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiously_me/pseuds/curiously_me
Summary: Even after the last Kaiju is dead and the Breach closed, Chuck stays on guard.  It's up to his friends and family to reassure him that he doesn't need to anymore.
Relationships: Raleigh Becket & Chuck Hansen
Series: Jaegercon Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818703
Kudos: 16





	Wavelength (I'm Drowning In My Fear)

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2013 for my Jaegercon Bingo card: Card 7, Ocean

Chuck has only vague memories of a time before the Kaiju made it impossible to visit the ocean-side beaches near his home. He remembers when his Mom and Dad would take him to the beach for Sunday picnics and they would spend the whole afternoon in the sun and sand. He isn't sure if they are truly his memories or if it's something he's seen in one of the many Drifts he's had with his old man.

He almost wishes he didn't have the memories at all; the remembrance of a time when the ocean was a thing full of mystery and wonder. Something to be explored and respected, but not feared.

Now, as he stands on the bustling landing pad of the newly reopened Sydney Shatterdome, he can't seem to look away from the wild waves of the open ocean. He's watching the water carefully, waiting for some sign that a massive body is moving under the shimmering surface waves, coming ever nearer to land. His hands clenched into fists, knowing that they were nowhere near prepared for a Kaiju attack. The new Jaeger's have only just had their designs approved and won't be in production for another week at the least.

Chuck isn't sure how long he's been standing outside when he hears the scrabble and scrape of Max's claws on the tarmac behind him. The dog grew up in the Sidney Shatterdome right alongside Chuck and quite probably knows the place better than the people that built it.

He sighs, knowing exactly who it is that let his Max out of their room. It's a pretty cheap trick, he thinks, using the dog's knowledge of his owner and familiarity with his surroundings to find said owner.

Max bumps up against his leg, a slobbering, content mess of wrinkles and love and Chuck kneels down to pet the affectionate bulldog, eyes still trained fixedly on the ocean. Max's stout body wiggles in excitement at the attention and he snuggles in closer to Chuck as the young man continues to stroke his hands across his fur.

"You missed lunch"

A warm hand settles on Chuck's shoulder and he doesn't even try not to lean into the touch.

"Wasn't hungry." He replies, wondering momentarily if Tendo has managed to get the monitoring systems up and running yet.

"Sure you weren't." Raleigh laughs, "I swear you'd eat an elephant by yourself, if you could. 're you sure you're not still growing?" He jokingly asks. It's become an old joke between them, how much Chuck has come to love eating anything that's not military rations.

"Shaddup, Rahleigh." He snarked in response. "What? Did my old man put you on babysitting duty just to keep you from getting underfoot and causing problems?" He asks, his voice no longer holding the bite it would have had after their initial meeting.

Chuck imagines Raleigh shakes his head at his predictable and stubborn response, but doesn't turn from the water. He can see movement, but it's only a dolphin pod playing with each other.

There is a heavy sigh before Raleigh moves, now standing between Chuck and the ocean. Chuck startles harshly and shifts to one side and then to the other, snarling as the older man anticipates the move and sways his body with the younger pilot's. It is vaguely reminiscent of a session with his Dad in the Kwoon.

"Hey..." Raleigh starts, voice soft as he reaches out and places warm hands on Chuck’s shoulders. When Chuck doesn't meet his eye or acknowledge his words, he speaks again.

"C'mon, now, Chuck. You don't have to be on guard anymore. We killed all of those bastards and you know that Tendo'd tell us, as soon as he notices, if he sees anything even slightly fishy.

"Here, c'mon man, look at me!" His words are more firm this time, an order instead of a request, and Chuck finds himself obeying on instinct alone.

He looks up into Raleigh's blue eyes, forgetting for a moment all of the horrible blue the world has dealt with in recent years. He blinks hard, voice gone, and lets himself fall into the other man.

Raleigh keeps him on his feet and guides them into the Shatterdome, whistling for Max when the bulldog gets distracted by some nearby birds.

Chuck finds himself looking back just once at the rushing waves as they sweep across the ocean. He thinks that he really should take a chance and ask his Dad to teach both him and Raleigh to surf. It'd certainly make for some funny stories later on.


End file.
